Do Butch Women All Pack A Strapon?

Ask A Butch

Today Sheena is joined by Amy and Lise to chat about the theory that all butch women pack a strapon.

About Amy Herman-Pall

Amy’s been out for over 25 years, but it took her some time to accept and identify with the label ‘butch.’ She’s worked in several different traditionally male jobs, from carpentry and woodworking, to truck driving, and in each she’s simply proven that a woman can do as well as a man.

As far as other butch stereotypes go, there are some she fits and some she never will. But she’s found her match in the femme that claimed her.

About Sheena

Sheena struggled for most of her youth with coming out. It was only at 22 when she met her wife that she could no longer deny her attraction to women. A large part of why she struggled had to do with the misconceptions and stereotypes of being a lesbian.

So she and her wife started to the show Les Talk About It where these myths and stereotypes are discussed.

Ask A Butch is a spin-off show. Sheena soon realized that it was not possible to answer questions all types of lesbians and so she wanted to address hatred towards butch women, specifically.

Andi and Jove talk Halloween and decide they probably would accept an alcoholic beverage from an unknown adult herding kids around on trick-or-treat night. They would also like to remind folks that just because you’re of the lady species, it doesn’t mean you can’t fix your own bike. And who doesn’t like a headless horseman story for Halloween? Ichabod Crane was a geek before it was cool.

26 Oct.: Author and Women and Wordster Renée Bess thinks that sometimes, it’s okay to distract yourself from the crazy and how about doing that with a yard sale? Here she’s got some wryly funny tips for you.

27 Oct.: Author and Women and Wordster Andi Marquette posted an audio reading of her Halloween tale and reboot of a classic American ghost story, The Secret of Sleepy Hollow. AND SHE’S DOING A GIVEAWAY. Win a copy! You have until Halloween Eve.

Jove reminded us that NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is write (ha ha see what I did there) around the corner, beginning November 1 (which means 12.01 AM on November 1 cuz people are that into it). Dirt Road Books is offering a motivation group and some of the DRB crew are doing NaNoWriMo this year, so please join us! HERE IS THE INFO. Be a writing buddy to Michelle Teichman, Jove Belle, Gill McKnight, and maybe Andi Marquette. She’s being indecisive.

ALSO! Jove and author Blythe Rippon will be at the Read With Pride Northwest event in Seattle November 4, at the downtown Seattle Public Library. Come on down!

And in case you’re curious about the Supercorp fanfic Jove mentioned, in which Kara is Ace, here’s the link. Seriously, if you’re Ace, let us know about the accuracy of this rep and PLEASE provide us with more links and sources for Ace rep. Thanks! Oh, that goes for bi, trans, pan, genderqueer…rep! Bring it! So we can share with our readers.

Female Knights in Shining Armor

The Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast: Episode 15d

Does your heart thrill to the clash of swords, the gleam of sunlight on a polished helm, and the snap of silken banners in the breeze at a tournament field? And then the helmet is removed by the victorious knight to reveal a fair face and a tumble of flowing locks and the crowd gasps to know a woman is champion? Well this podcast is for you.

In this episode we talk about

Joan of Arc and what wearing armor meant symbolically for her

The 12th century Spanish “Order of the Hatchet”, an order of woman knights

The gang of ladies who showed up at a 14th century tournament in England in men’s clothing

A 13th century German tale of women holding a tournament when their men were off at war

The French romance of Yde and Olive and how a woman knight won the hand of a king’s daughter in marriage

The Romance of Silence, which includes an exceedingly modern-sounding debate between personifications of Nature and Nurture for they loyalty of a girl raised as a boy

Amazon knights in Renaissance epic poems such as Orlando Furioso and The Faerie Queene, who attracted the love of fair ladies

And Playing the Role of Herself by KE Lane

Tara is joined in this episode Erin Hodgson, fellow reviewer at The Lesbian Review, to talk about And Playing the Role of Herself by KE Lane. Listen to find out who their favourite characters are, why Erin hopes someone will write fanfic about it, and more.

This podcast has spoilers, so be sure to read the book before you check it out.

From the back of the book:

Actress Caidence Harris is living her dreams after landing a leading role among the star-studded, veteran cast of 9th Precinct, a hot new police drama shot on location in glitzy LA.

Her sometimes-costar Robyn Ward is magnetic, glamorous, and devastatingly beautiful, the quintessential A-List celebrity on the fast-track to super-stardom.

When the two meet on the set of 9th Precinct, Caid is instantly infatuated but settles for friendship, positive that Robyn is both unavailable and uninterested. Soon Caid sees that all is not as it appears, but can she take a chance and risk her heart when the outcome is so uncertain?

More info

Come talk to Tara and the rest of The Lesbian Review crew about these books and any other lesfic you’ve been reading lately at our Facebook group, The Lesbian Review Book Club.

You can see all of our reviews, top 10 lists and author profiles on TheLesbianReview.com and don’t forget to send your emails, questions and more to Tara@TheLesbianReview.com

In this episode of Badass Women Save Themselves, Blythe and Jove talk about all the things that make Halloween amazing.

Halloween is the best. All the monsters and zombies agree. The werewolves could take it or leave it--they get a full moon at least once a month. But we love Halloween so much that it even changes the media we consume in October--Jove's family watches a Halloween-themed movie every night! In this episode, we talk about our top five favorite Halloween media--books, music, tv, and films.

The Problem With Lesbian Porn

Les Talk About It

In this episode of Les Talk About it Sheena and Tamara are discussing The Problem With Lesbian Porn. Why it's bad for lesbians, and what we should be insisting on instead.

MORE INFO

Sheena is the founder of The Lesbian Talk Show podcast channel and The Lesbian Review. Tamara is super smart and loves researching and together this married couple is known to get slightly off topic and laugh a lot.

Andi and Jove chat about Jove’s event earlier this month, fangirl over Ashley Bartlett and Sacchi Green, get a little pissy about politics (sigh), analyze Clifford Mae Henderson’s dreams, and discuss the awesome lesbian vampire web series Carmilla, to which they say, support your local lesbians and other queer artists!

14 Oct.: Women and Wordster Erin Saluta did a reader’s perspective on different sub-genres of lesfic that she branched out to read.

AND! OMG OMG OMG Author Penny Mickelbury will be joining the Women and Words team as one of our regular contributors. WE ARE SUPER EXCITED.

Jove reminded people about an upcoming event she’ll be attending along with author Blythe Rippon November 4. It’s the Read With Pride Northwest gathering, held at the Seattle downtown library.

And don’t forget – National Novel Writing Month is November. NaNoWriMo! Get your write on and get the manuscript done that you’ve always wanted to do. Sign up, find your tribe, and commence November 1.

10 Best Debut Novels - The Lesbian Review Podcast

Clare Lydon joins Sheena as they talk about their favorite debut novels.

Sheena’s Picks

1 London Calling by Clare Lydon

Published by Custard Publishing

Synopsis

A break-up. A mix-up. Will there be a make-up?

Jess Sharp’s life hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. She’s 32, unemployed, and single after a devastating breakup. She’s also left Australia for London to live in her parents’ spare room. Her chaotic life seems to be spiraling until she meets someone who could be a game-changer.

She’s optimistic after a wildly successful first date, but far too much tequila and the ghosts of girlfriends past may drag her far below her lowest point. Can she win the race for romance without tripping?

London Calling is the first book in a series of lesbian romance novels. If you like punchy drama, wicked humor, and charming British characters, then you’ll love Clare Lydon’s hilarious debut novel.

2 Depths Of Blue by Lise MacTague

Synopsis

For Torrin Ivanov, life is a bargaining table. Every planet is a new business opportunity. Legality is optional and supplying one side in a local civil war always adds up to profit.

Jak Stowell is at war within a war. A woman hidden in the heart of a male-only army, her brother’s murder has left her desperate for vengeance. Her skill as a sniper gives her both the disguise she needs and paves the way ever closer to her real goal. She kills efficiently, without remorse. Putting down an off-world smuggler will be no different.

A moment’s hesitation. A flicker of doubt. Two women on a collision course set off a chain reaction of intergalactic intrigue—and awaken a dangerous passion that could cost them their lives.

4 Daughter Of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones

Published by Bella Books

Synopsis

Margerit Sovitre did not expect to inherit Baron Saveze’s fortunes—even less his bodyguard, a ruthlessly efficient swordswoman known only as Barbara. Wealth suddenly makes Margerit a highly eligible heiress and buys her the enmity of the new Baron. He had expected to inherit all, and now eyes her fortune with open envy.

Barbara proudly served as the old Baron’s duelist but she had expected his death to make her a free woman. Bitterness turns to determination when she finds herself the only force that stands between Margerit and the new Baron’s greed.

At first Margerit protests the need for Barbara’s services, but soon she cannot imagine sending Barbara away. And Barbara’s duty has become something far more hazardous to her heart than the point of a sword.

But greater dangers loom than one man’s hatred—the Prince of Alpennia is ill. Deadly intrigue surrounds the succession and the rituals of divine power known as The Mysteries of the Saints.

5 Sharpshooter by Leslie Murray

Published by Sapphire Books Publishing

Synopsis

A mission gone horribly wrong.

A vicious killer who will stop at nothing.

Two women on the run for their very lives.

After 9/11, an experimental branch of the U.S. government has been tasked with the mission of proactively putting a stop to terrorism. They have sent a team to eliminate a financier responsible for funding the worst of these organizations. Everything is going according to plan.

Until it’s not.

The team is ambushed, and when the mission is looking its darkest, it goes from bad to worse.

Former Marine scout sniper Seven Michelis is a black ops sharpshooter now injured and on the run for her life.

Peace Corps volunteer Dr. Jenny MacKenzie defies good sense and sets out to help a stranger in need. What she finds is something else entirely.

From the rugged foothills of the Andes through the dense forests of the Amazon river basin, Seven and Jenny fight to survive the perils of being hunted through Bolivia by a killer hell-bent on homicide. Who can they trust, and what fresh hell awaits them if and when they make it home? Will they survive long enough to explore their growing attraction?

Clare’s List

6 And Playing The Role Of Herself by KE Lane

Published by Regal Crest Enterprises

Synopsis

Actress Caidence Harris is living her dreams after landing a leading role among the star-studded, veteran cast of 9th Precinct, a hot new police drama shot on location in glitzy LA. Her sometimes-costar Robyn Ward is magnetic, glamorous, and devastatingly beautiful, the quintessential A-List celebrity on the fast-track to super-stardom. When the two meet on the set of 9th Precinct, Caid is instantly infatuated but settles for friendship, positive that Robyn is both unavailable and uninterested. Soon Caid sees that all is not as it appears, but can she take a chance and risk her heart when the outcome is so uncertain?

The leading ladies and the supporting cast of this debut novel by newcomer K.E Lane will charm you, entertain you, and leave you with a smile on your face, eager for Ms. Lane's next offering.

Synopsis

A successful anaesthetist, Anna is focused on herself, her career, and her girlfriend. Everything changes abruptly when her brother’s and sister-in-law’s deaths devastate her and her family. Left responsible for her young niece and nephew, Anna finds herself dumped and alone in Melbourne, a city she doesn’t even like. She tries to navigate the shock of looking after two children battling with their grief while managing her own.

Filled with self-doubt, Anna feels as if she’s making a mess of the entire thing, especially when she collides with a long-legged stranger. Anna barely has time to brush her teeth in the morning, let alone to date a woman—least of all one who has no idea about the two kids under her care.

Just when Anna finally starts to feel as if she’s getting some control of the situation, the biggest fight begins and Anna really has to step up once and for all.

8 Exception To The Rule by Cindy Rizzo

What will keep you safe—and sane—when you find yourself in a new and unfamiliar place convinced you'll never find anyone like you?

For Robin and Tracy, it's the rules they set for themselves as they begin their first semester at Adams University near Boston.

Robin is determined to hide in her room writing until she can get back to her homeless gay friends in New York City, whose easy exchange of sex and friendship inspires her creativity. She's sworn off perfect princesses like Tracy Patterson, no matter how attractive she finds the mysterious Southerner on her hall with the long blonde hair and tight jeans.

And Tracy has no interest in cynical, smart-mouthed Northerners like Robin. She has her own set of rules—fine-tuned back home in North Carolina where she had a fake boyfriend and an uncomplicated string of older female lovers, including her mother's best friend. Here at college, she already has her first conquest planned, and it's certainly not Robin Greene.

This is a love story about two young women who can only find their true selves by finding one another. But are Robin and Tracy willing to give up all they think they know in order to find happiness?

Sometimes in life, the person who will matter most is the one who's an exception to the rule.

9 Just Juliet by Charlotte Reagan

Synopsis

The coming out story that will completely change the way you look at love.

Juliet represents the road less traveled. Will Lena take it?

Lena Newman is 17, her best friend's a cheerleader, her boyfriend's a football player, and as far as everyone is concerned, her life is sorted. But that's before she befriends the new girl. Juliet is confident, slightly damaged, drop-dead gorgeous and a lesbian.

Lena realizes that her interest goes beyond just friendship. She sets off on a path of self-discovery where the loyalty of those closest to her will be tested.

10 Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest

Published by Bella Books

Synopsis

The intimacy of a cabin at Lake Tahoe provides the combustible setting that brings Diana Holland and Lane Christianson together in this passionate novel of first discovery. Candid in its eroticism, intensely romantic, and remarkably beautiful, Curious Wine is a love story that will remain in your memory.

Find Clare Lydon Online

Asset Management by Annette Mori - Book Clips

Synopsis

Toni, Sophie, and Kim, are the modern-day version of Robin Hood blended with the Three Musketeers. For the past eighteen months, they have been moving the assets of the rapacious bank executives to the more deserving coffers—at least in their minds—of the poor and middle class.

When a mysterious woman keeps crossing paths with Toni, sparks fly. Is it a coincidence or all part of some greater master plan? Is she friend or foe?

Add the Russian mob, the FBI, and an all-female covert organization and you have the perfect recipe for danger, intrigue, and even love.

Does the trio join forces with the organization?

Follow the twists and turns to the explosive conclusion. Not everything is black and white. There are many shades of gray and sometimes it’s difficult to decipher who is good and who is evil. No one is all virtue or all malevolence, but sometimes love helps us rise above.

On fandoms as a support network - Lez Geek Out! 18

Andi and Lise talk about how fandoms have been both an escape and a support network during these troubling times, and they also note that fandoms allow for the expansion of imagination, finding new stories, and making new friends.

We’re Back For Season 3 And Our Lives Have Changed - Harper Bliss And Her Mrs

In this episode, Harper Bliss and Her Mrs (Caroline) discuss some of the changes that have happened since they were last on the podcast. They also talk about what they will be talking about in future episodes.

Do Butch Women Want To Be Men? Ask A Butch

Today Sheena is joined by Amy and Lise to answer the question - Do Butch Women Want To Be Men or are they transgender?

About Amy Herman-Pall

Amy’s been out for over 25 years, but it took her some time to accept and identify with the label ‘butch.’ She’s worked in several different traditionally male jobs, from carpentry and woodworking, to truck driving, and in each she’s simply proven that a woman can do as well as a man.

As far as other butch stereotypes go, there are some she fits and some she never will. But she’s found her match in the femme that claimed her.

About Sheena

Sheen struggled for most of her youth with coming out. It was only at 22 when she met her wife that she could no longer deny her attraction to women. A large part of why she struggled had to do with the misconceptions and stereotypes of being a lesbian.

So she and her wife started to the show Les Talk About It where these myths and stereotypes are discussed.

Ask A Butch is a spin-off show. Sheena soon realized that it was not possible to answer questions all types of lesbians and so she wanted to address hatred towards butch women, specifically.

And…somehow there is talk of sex toy stores. This is why you should never leave Andi and Jove alone with a podcast.

One of Jove’s kids would like her to slow down when she drives, which Andi finds endlessly amusing. Also, Andi and Jove reminisce about various sex toy stores they’ve visited and Andi wants to name herself after an Irish airline.

7 Oct.: Women and Wordster Ann Etter joined us for a reader’s perspective on trying new genres than her usual.

Jove has an event coming up tomorrow! Literary Lesbians present an evening of spellbinding entertainment at Tabor Space in Portland! And we’ll be posting a call for submissions pretty darn soon. Sacchi Green is looking for short stories for Best Lesbian Erotica 2019. As soon as we have more info, we’ll let you know.

Also, Jove will be doing NaNoWriMo this year (National Novel Writing Month), which is held in November. A month to write a novel, friends! You can do it! Dirt Road Books will have its own group with some cool stuff going on, so we’ll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, CHECK OUT NANOWRIMO!

AND don’t forget, authors! Sign up to provide a couple of your books in our giant giveaway extravaganza, The Hootenanny! Dec. 12-23. Easily 150 authors, and literally hundreds of books. Last year I think we gave away at least 300 books. SRSLY.

A series of interviews with authors of historically-based fiction featuring queer women.

In this episode we talk about

The approach of framing a historic story within a modern character’s interaction with that story. The uses of parallel lives to create reader connection.

How Caren used dreams and book inscriptions as a way of connecting the present with the past. How present lives can heal past wounds.

Historic fiction as a way of bringing the past to life and giving women the adventures and stories they’re denied in history books.

The challenge of researching the small details.

Using 8th century Ireland as a setting for fantasy adventure. What makes a specific historic context an inviting place for fantastic stories? The “what if” factor. How does history constrain the invention?

Les Do Books: Carsen Taite Talks Lesbian Fiction

In this episode, prolific author Carsen Taite joins Tara to talk about a few lesbian fiction books that she loves. Authors are readers too, so Tara was excited to hear about which books Carsen thinks everyone should check out.

Check out the books discussed here:

Welcome to the world of Bay West Social. Twenty-something Meg McTiernan is all about her career when her house hunt unexpectedly lands her at Bay West - a lesbian mecca tucked away in the suburbs of NYC - and her social life is given a turbo boost. There's a pool, a softball league, even a nightclub practically in her backyard. In this loaded environment, finding the right girl just got a lot more interesting.

Case in point: law student Lexi Russo grew up at Bay West and is about to start an internship at the law firm of another local, self-assured, sexy Jesse Ducane. Lexi's had a crush on Jesse forever, but Jesse's the one Bay West woman she can't possibly have. And not just because she's her boss.

Together, new friends Meg and Lexi navigate romances, fun flirtations, juicy gossip, tons of drama, and maybe just the right amount of true love.

Jamie Maddox is worried about her grip on reality. Has her consciousness really been transported back to 1560, landing in the body of Blanche Nottingham? Not good, since Blanche, a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth I, is plotting a murder. The other possibility that Jamie faces? She’s had a psychotic break that has trapped her in an Elizabethan fantasy while another personality—let’s call her Blanche—has taken control of Jamie’s life and is jeopardizing everything.

Jamie is repeatedly zapped back and forth between the present and 1560 (or in and out of that twisted fantasy). Betrayal, murder, thunderstorms, and two doctors complicate everything as Jamie and Blanche battle to control Jamie’s body. Just as Jamie is running out of both hope and time, help—and love—come from a most unexpected place.

Three women, united by love and kinship, struggle to conform to the social norms of the times in which they live.

In 1931 Katherine Henderson leaves behind her small town in Kansas and the marriage proposal of a local boy to live on her own and work at the Sears & Roebuck glove counter in Chicago. There she meets Annie - a bold, outspoken feminist who challenges Katherine's idea of who she thinks she is and what she thinks she wants in life.

In 1997 Katherine's daughter, Joan, travels to Lawrence, Kansas, to clean out her estranged mother's house. Hidden away in an old suitcase, she finds a wooden box containing trinkets and a packet of sealed letters to a person identified only by a first initial.

Joan reads the unsent letters and discovers a woman completely different from the aloof and unyielding mother of her youth - a woman who had loved deeply and lost that love to circumstances beyond her control. Now she just has to find the strength to use the healing power of empathy and forgiveness to live the life she's always wanted to live.

Isabel Chase is reeling. She’s just been offered her dream job as a staff writer on one of the hottest shows on television and quickly trades in the comfort of New England for sun, sand, and everything Hollywood. While stoked for what could be her big break, the show’s stunning executive producer has her head spinning and her feelings swirling.

Taylor Andrews is at the top of her career. Everything she touches turns to gold and the studios know it. Just when she’s on track for total television domination, Isabel Chase arrives in her office and slowly turns her world upside down. Isabel is intelligent, sarcastic, and dammit, downright beautiful. Unfortunately, she’s the one person that can take away all Taylor has worked for.

Will Isabel’s success lead to Taylor’s downfall? Or perhaps Isabel is all she needs…